Some known vehicle consists include several vehicles that generate tractive effort for propelling the vehicle consists along a route. For example, trains may have several locomotives coupled with each other that propel the train along a track. The locomotives may communicate with each other in order to coordinate the tractive efforts and/or braking efforts provided by the locomotives. As one example, locomotives may be provided in a distributed power (DP) arrangement with one locomotive designated as a lead locomotive and other locomotives designated as remote locomotives. The lead locomotive may direct the tractive and braking efforts provided by the remote locomotives during a trip of the consist.
Some known consists use wireless communication between the locomotives for coordinating the tractive and/or braking efforts. For example, a lead locomotive can issue commands to the remote locomotives. The remote locomotives receive the commands and implement the tractive efforts and/or braking efforts directed by the commands. In order to ensure that the remote locomotives receive the commands, the lead locomotive may periodically re-communicate the commands until all of the remote locomotives confirm receipt of the commands by communicating a confirmation message to the lead locomotive.
In order to set up the consists to wirelessly communicate in this manner, an operator typically travels to and boards each individual remote locomotive in turn. While onboard each remote locomotive, the operator enters an orientation of the remote locomotive relative to the lead locomotive. This orientation is used to ensure that commands received at the remote locomotive from the lead locomotive are correctly interpreted. For example, if the lead and remote locomotives are facing the same (e.g., common) direction, then a command to move forward at a designated throttle setting may be implemented by the remote locomotive rotating wheels of the remote locomotive in the same direction as the lead locomotive. But, if the lead and remote locomotives are facing opposite directions, then the command to move forward may not be implemented by the remote locomotive moving the wheels of the remote locomotive in the same direction as the lead locomotive. Instead, the remote locomotive may need to rotate the wheels of the remote locomotive in the opposite direction to move the consist forward.
The orientations of the remote locomotives relative to the lead locomotives may be needed for correct operation of the consist. Using manual entry of the orientations, however, is time consuming and prone to human error. Entering an incorrect orientation can cause damage to the consists, such as when the incorrect orientation of a remote locomotive results in the lead and remote locomotives attempting to move in opposite directions. This can cause unsafe compression or stretching of the portion of the consist between the lead and remote locomotives.